


Reverse

by i_masshiro



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Fluff, can be platonic, can be romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:21:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23922244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_masshiro/pseuds/i_masshiro
Summary: "There are many things she wants – she wants this new quick set to be mastered as soon as possible and for Hinata and Kageyama’s relationship to be mended but perhaps someone like her – a townsperson B – just wasn’t cut out for that sort of task."
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Yachi Hitoka
Comments: 12
Kudos: 58





	Reverse

“Again…”

Kageyama tries to focus on the weight of the ball on his fingertips.

_“Haaaa_ …”— _breathe in_.

“Again.”

“ _Haaaa…_ ”— _breathe out_.

His breath burns like smoke in his lungs and his muscles ache with the heat of exhaustion. After hours of practicing this new quick set he was nearing his physical limit but he knew that this still wasn’t enough. He wasn’t where he needed to be in order to give Hinata the toss that he desired. He needed to be better, faster, more accurate, more precise, more…more…more…

“Again!”

He tries to ignore the blinding glare of the gym lights, the burn of sweat in his eyes and the screech of his shoes against the gym floor. He tries to focus his full attention on aiming at the row of plastic bottles behind him but instead his eyes find the shadowy ghost of _her_ silhouette in his hazy peripherals.

“Again,” he breathes out absentmindedly and then — “ _oof_!!” — he staggers forward as the volleyball bounces off the back of his head. The ball rolls away with a few heavy bounces and Yachi lets out a fearful shout as he doubles over and clasps his head in silent pain.

“Oh…,” she lets out a rush of air at the horrible realization of what she had done, “—oh my gosh! Kageyama-kun—I-I’m so sorry! I-I thought—!” She holds her head in utter embarrassment and shame, angrily ruffling her blonde hair as her wild imagination convinces her that this transgression would cause Kageyama to never make up with Hinata and then the team would fall apart and it was all her fault and the entire team would hate her because of it and…and…and…!

“Yachi-san,” Kageyama calls out to her, halting her overactive imagination, “it’s…fine.” He straightens himself and rubs a hand against the sore spot at the back of his head, “it was my fault for not paying attention.”

He turns to look at the plastic bottles lined neatly in a row and his eyes narrow darkly at the evidence of his lack of improvement. He had hit some of the plastic bottles before but his consistency and accuracy with this new quick set was still lacking.

“Yachi-san!” Yachi jumps as he suddenly looks up to meet her eyes with a fiery gaze, crackling with the embers of his firm resolution. Kageyama sucks in a deep breath and throws back his shoulders. “Please toss the ball to me one more time!”

The color slowly returns to her face and she lowers her hands in surprise. He still wanted someone like her to help him? “I don’t know…,” she trails off, rubbing her hands indecisively. There are many things she wants – she wants this new quick set to be mastered as soon as possible and for Hinata and Kageyama’s relationship to be mended but perhaps someone like her – a townsperson B – just wasn’t cut out for that sort of task.

She slides her gaze away from him. “Maybe I should get someone else to toss for you…someone better…“

“You’re perfect!” Kageyama declares firmly but then blinks and his eyes widen as he realizes the implication of his words. “—ly fine!” There’s a strange heat in his cheeks, a sudden slick of sweat in his palms and a skip in his heart that reminds him of the thrill of the court; a burning feeling blooming in his chest that he doesn’t quite understand but he knows that it reminds him of his love for volleyball. “You’re perfectly fine!”

A heated blush paints across her cheeks at his words but she’s grateful for his encouragement. Yachi swallows her lingering doubts with a gulp before nodding resolutely. “Ok!”

Kageyama nods in return before stepping back into place. Focus. Focus. Focus. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

“Here I go!” She calls out from the sidelines and his eyes pinpoint the path of the ball as she tosses it and it arches into the air – _up, up and up_ – before gravity brings it sailing back down towards his waiting hands.

“You can do it, Kageyama-kun!” He hears her cheer from the sidelines and the summer heat sweeps into his lungs and his nerves tingle like firecrackers as the ball settles firmly against his fingers. Goosebumps ripple across his arm. The weight of the ball feels different. It carries something new yet certain: the gravity of her gaze on him, the whistle of her cheering voice and the pounding of his heart that mimics the sound of her name.

He tosses the ball back into the air and they both watch with bated breath as it gracefully whistles through the air and then slams against the plastic bottle with a defining thud; sending it spinning and spinning around on its side.

There’s a thick silence, measured by their heartbeats and the rotation of the bottle, before Yachi breaks the silence and rushes across the court, half-cheering and half-screaming; eyes wide and full of unshed tears and arms thrown back as she rushes toward him.

“W-wait! Yachi-san!” Kageyama warns but it’s too late. Before he can think or say anything else, she leaps into the air, slams into him and sends them both toppling backwards. 

The breath is knocked out of him and the air rushes around them; hair whipping and eyes blinded with the glare of the gym lights as they fall. He is a man of instinct and he does not realize – he does not even think about it – when his arms wrap protectively around her waist as they tip backwards. In that moment, the heat of her against him carries _something new_ _yet certain_ and he muses that, with her, falling feels a lot like flying in reverse.

**Author's Note:**

> This was for an anon request on tumblr. Posted on tumblr on 1/16/2017 (!!!). I don't actually really ship anything in haikyuu but I decided to do this one since it had come in as a request.


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